Dealing
with dry, itchy, red patches on your skin? Eczema might be to blame. Eczema is an
incredibly common and usually very manageable skin condition. In fact, an
estimated 30 percent of
people in the U.S. have eczema — so if that’s you, you’re not alone.
Many
people develop eczema in childhood and it may improve or resolve over time. But
for some, eczema may persist throughout your life or you may develop it for the
first time later in life.
Regardless
of your age, the approach to eczema treatment is similar. It all starts with
your day-to-day skin care habits. Everyone with eczema needs to pay
attention to their regular skincare routine.
Moisture is king.
Maximize your moisturizer
Emollients,
or moisturizers, are the mainstay of treating eczema. You should get in the
habit of applying a thick, fragrance-free emollient eczema cream at least once
daily.
Try to
apply your moisturizer within three minutes of exiting the bath or shower, as
this is when your skin is most absorbent.
Moisturize often during flare-ups
Emollients
can be safely used several times daily when skin is flaring.
Use the right kind of moisturizer
The
thicker the emollient, the better it works. The thickest, strongest
moisturizers are ointments, followed by creams, followed by lotions (anything
that typically comes in a pump bottle).
Be gentle on your skin.
In
addition to the use of moisturizer, it is important to use gentle skin care
products for your cosmetics, cleansers and household products.
Use a mild soap
Choose
a mild cleanser for bathing and hand washing such as unscented Dove soap.
Skip the long, hot showers
Showers
should be lukewarm and limited to less than 10 minutes.
Use unscented products
Avoid
the use of scented products such as perfumes, body sprays and scented lotions.
Use gentle laundry methods
Opt for
unscented laundry detergent and avoid the use of dryer sheets.
Know when the basics aren’t enough.
Find a dermatologist you trust
Sometimes,
all of those preventative measures for eczema are not enough to keep things
under control. If that happens, your dermatologist becomes your best friend.
Be open to all the options
Your
dermatologist can discuss a myriad different prescription options for the
treatment of eczema. Most commonly this will entail the use of a steroid
topical cream or ointment. There are options for non-steroid creams or
ointments as well. Your dermatologist can help figure out what is right for
you.
If
topical therapies are inadequate, your dermatologist can review other treatment
options such as pills and injections that can be used to control severe,
difficult-to-treat eczema.
Watch out for infections
Generally,
you should see your dermatologist whenever your eczema is not controlled by
your at-home therapies or is impacting your quality of life (such as inability
to sleep or persistent scratching). Because eczema breaks down the skin
barrier, people with eczema are more prone to bacterial and viral skin
infections.
If you
notice any of these signs of infection, you should seek medical evaluation.
·
Open, weepy skin
·
Yellow crusting
·
Clusters of blisters
·
Localized redness, warmth and swelling
·
Fevers
Eczema
shouldn’t hold you back or cause you discomfort. Talk to your dermatologist
about ways to control your eczema symptoms.
No comments:
Post a Comment